


Monsters

by orphan_account



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-26
Updated: 2013-02-26
Packaged: 2017-12-03 17:51:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/701006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Natasha was kidnapped and Clint knows something happened that she won't tell the rest of the team. Can he get it out of her?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Monsters

As soon as Clint and Pepper heard the elevator ding, they were running down the hall. Just as they stopped running, Tony, Thor, Bruce, and Steve all stepped out, followed by a very quiet Natasha.

"How did it go?" Clint asked, having been banned from the mission.

"As well as it could. We found her easily, took out everyone in the facility." Steve replied.

Clint nodded as he looked at Natasha. He could tell that something had happened to her that the rest of the team didn't know about. Pepper finally left Tony's embrace and ran toward Natasha. She threw her arms around the other redhead and squeezed her tightly.

Clint noticed that Natasha flinched, but she eventually moved her arms around Pepper's waist, although she didn't squeeze her friend back.

He caught sight of Tony's wrist and assumed that he'd tried something similar after they found her, and the fact that Natasha wouldn't let men touch her told Clint everything he needed to know.

"Pepper?" Clint said softly.

"Yes?"  
"Can you lead Natasha to the couch in the living room please? Very gently." Clint asked, voice still soft.

"Sure." Pepper turned back to Natasha and took her hand. "Natasha? Let's go sit down, ok?"  
Natasha didn't show any sign of understanding other than to follow Pepper when she started walking. Clint and the rest of the men followed a few steps behind, after Clint told them they could stay for the next bit as long as they were silent.

They entered the living room to find Natasha and Pepper sitting on the couch together. Clint smiled at Pepper as she made her way to Tony's side. Clint crouched down the floor between Natasha's legs and stared up at her.

"Tasha?" He whispered quietly. He didn't really want to do this out loud, but there wasn't going to be a choice if she didn't look at him.

Her chin finally lifted enough for her to look at him, his storming gray orbs meeting her dull and haunted green ones.

"Hey, Tasha. Do you know where you are?" He asked, still speaking as if he was talking to a scared child.  
"Safe?" She whispered, her answer a question more than anything else.

"Yes, you are. You're home, Tasha, and you're safe."  
Natasha stared blankly back at Clint, but her answer told him that she'd be able to make it out the other side of this, even if it took a while.

 _"What did they do to you?"_  He signed.

It was a good question. The two of them had been on a mission together, fairly easy by their standards, and she'd been kidnapped by the organization they were sent to take down. Clint had been pulled from the field, and Fury had forbidden him to help the Avengers rescue her, knowing full well that he wouldn't hesitate to kill everyone in sight.

Natasha thought for a while, and Clint was worried she wouldn't answer. Finally, her hands came up and she started signing back.

 _"I was in a room, no windows. They had me chained to the wall. Every day he came in. He would stare at me for what seemed like hours. Then he'd pull my shorts down, and he…"_ Natasha didn't need to continue; Clint knew exactly what the monster had done to her.

_"He's dead. Tony blasted him with his suit at least five times. He won't ever get you back."  
"I know. But it was just like before. When I used to get punished in the Red Room."_

Clint tensed. He knew exactly what kind of punishment the Red Room inflicted on her. He carefully rested his hand on her knee, happy that she didn't flinch at the touch.

"What do you want?" He asked out loud.  
"Sleep." Natasha whispered back.

Clint nodded and stood up. He held his hands out for her and she took them with only the slightest hesitation. Clint dropped one of her hands, but held the other firmly as they turned to face the rest of the group.

"We're gonna go to our floor. We'll see you guys later."

Their team nodded and Clint lead Natasha from the room. They didn't speak, but they didn't need to. When they stopped by the elevator, Clint noticed Natasha's reaction to the metal container. He squeezed her hand gently once and smiled when she looked at him. He gestured to the stairs and she nodded, grateful for his ability to pick up on her silent tells.

When they arrived on their floor, Natasha made her way to the bedroom and began searching through her clothes. After a few minutes, she gave up and went to Clint's dresser, rummaging through his clothes until she found a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt. Clint stood in the doorway and watched as Natasha made her way to the bathroom. She looked over her shoulder to him, eyes asking if he was coming, whole at the same time saying she wasn't sure if she wanted him to. He had been expecting a similar reaction, so he shook his head and signed that he was going to make her some food. He went to his bedside table, making a show of taking his hearing aides out so she'd know not to sneak up on him. She nodded once, before stepping into the bathroom and closing the door.

* * *

She emerged 45 minutes later, her skin pink from the hot water and the almost painful scrubbing she'd done in an effort to feel like someone else's hands hadn't been all over her.

She made her way to the kitchen where she smelled Clint making dinner. His back was to her, so she hopped onto the counter next to him, alerting him to her presence without giving him a heart attack. He smiled when he saw her and kissed the back of her hand before holding out a spoon for her to taste the soup he'd made. She smiled when she tasted the creamy flavor, relishing the hint of pepper he put in the chowder.

Clint served each of them before pulling her to the table. They ate in relative silence, conversing with their eyes only. When they were done, Clint cleared their dishes while Natasha sat on the counter. She tried helping, but Clint just glared at her until she relented.

When the dishes were done, Natasha led him to their bedroom where he made her a nest of pillows and blankets . He climbed in after her and she snuggled into his chest. They laid in silence for a while, before Clint decided it was time for them to talk.

"Did you debrief yet?" He signed.

"Yeah." Natasha signed back. " Fury knows. I asked for a few weeks off, or at least off missions, and he wanted to know why. He mandated 2 months off, for both of us, but I don't need a psych eval before going back into the field."

Count nodded, he'd been expecting as much.

"What do you need me to do, Tasha?" He signed.

"It's going to be hell," she signed slowly. "I can already tell. I just need to know you'll be here when I wake up."

Clint nodded again and pressed a kiss to her head. "I'll always be here, Nat." He whispered into her hair. Somehow hearing him say it out loud made it seem more real for Natasha.

Natasha cuddled further into Clint's chest and closed her eyes, hoping his arms around her would be enough to keep the nightmares away, but knowing it wasn't likely.

Just before she fell asleep, she heard Clint whisper another promise to her.

"I'll always make sure you're safe, Natasha."

* * *


End file.
